Manny Pacquiao feels he can reach top again

Eight-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao believes he has two or three years of fighting left before he quits the sport and still retains the hope of securing a bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Two straight defeats, the second a brutal sixth round knockout by old foe Juan Manuel Marquez in December, prompted pundits and fans to suggest retirement for the 34-year-old Filipino.

But he will step back in the ring after an extended break on 24 November to take on American Brandon Rios for a first fight in Macau, keen to re-establish himself as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.

"It is a great opportunity for me to give a good show for the people, to get back my name into the top of boxing,"

"Brandon Rios is a good boxer, tough opponent and I believe we can give a good fight. Especially his style and my style it is very good to fight each other, we can create a lot of action in the ring."

The 27-year-old Rios, an aggressive former lightweight world champion known as 'Bam Bam', will provide a stern test for Pacquiao although he lacks the box office numbers that a fifth bout with Marquez or a first with Mayweather could bring.

Pacquiao, who said three years ago his mother had given her blessing for him to fight once more, remains open to both options and has no plans to call it quits any time soon.

"I'm not really sure (how many fights left) as long as I can still fight I can fight. In my mind right now, maybe I can still fight maybe two to three years from now," said Pacquiao, who has amassed a 54-5-2 record with 38 knockouts.

"I tell you frankly, honestly in myself I can still fight and I feel strong. If there is something wrong in my body or something wrong in my boxing skill I have to think about that and think about retirement

"But since I lost the last fight, I never feel something in my body, I still feel strong and I can still fight."